Clasp



June 6, 1961 L. R. WYATT 2,986,792

CLASP Filed March 25, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

LEONARD RAYMOND WYATT "ATTORN EYS United States Pa n 2,986,792 CLASP Leonard R. Wyatt, Walnut St., R.F.D. 17, Plainville, Mass. Filed Mar. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 801,840 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-230) This invention relates to a clasp and more particularly to a clasp which is associated with the jewelry art and is particularly used for bracelets, necklaces and the like.

Clasps of this nature which are sometimes called box clasps have been in the art for some time and have always suifered from the difficulty of being accidentally separated when in use. This difiiculty in many instances gives rise to the necessity of attaching to a necklace, bracelet or the like, what is called a safety chain which chain would be soldered or otherwise affixed to the two free ends of the bracelet chain. Thus, if a clasp became disengaged through accidental means, then the wearer would not lose the article of jewelry for the safety chain would maintain the same on the part of the body where the jewelry chain was worn. This particular scheme has certain disadvantages amongst which are the fact that the so-called safety chain is an auxiliary part that detracts from the general appearance of the jewelry item and further provides a loop which may readily-catch objects and cause other annoyances to the wearer.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a means whereby accidental disengagement of a clasp will be prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple construction for a clasp which does not have any additional moving parts other than those heretofore provided.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clasp which may be completely disengaged when desired, but which will not become disengaged when a longitudinal pull is exerted thereon.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the clasp of the invention, the parts being in assembled locked relationship;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View taken on lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the clasps parts in partial separated relation;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on lines 4-4 FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view with part of the clasp broken away showing the manner in which the parts are assembled.

In proceeding with this invention, I have provided a box-like member into which a resilient male member may be inserted. Specifically the box-like member has an overhanging flange on an open end thereof and the resilient male member has an abutment rising from the base portion thereof. In order to mate the two parts together, it is necessary to angularly relate the male member with respect to the female box-like member so that the abutment will be inserted underneath the flange portion, whereupon the male member may be rotated to allow complete insertion thereof into the box-like member, a spring portion snapping behind the overhanging flange and bringing the parts into a clasping relationship. With this basic assembly of parts the clasp is arranged to prevent accidental separation even if the spring member becomes disengaged from behind the overhanging flange Patented June 6, 1961 portion, inasmuch as the abutment aflixed thereto will engage the lip and prevent the separation of the parts.

' Referring now to the drawings, the clasp comprises a hollow body generally designated 10 which is of the hollow box type having a top wall 11, side walls 12, a bottom wall 13, a rear end wall 14 and an open front end wall 15. The rear'end wall 14 has means associated therewith to secure one end of a bracelet or necklace chain and to this end may be provided with one or more eye loops 1 6. The front end wall 15 has a'transverse opening 17 therein which extends substantially across the end wall 15 at the bottom portion thereof. The upper portion of the end wall 15 defines a downwardly extending flange portion 18 which is intersected midway thereof with a vertical slot 19.

Associated with the hollow body 10 is a resilient element generally designated 20 which has a flat plate-like base portion 21 having means associated therewith in the form of a pair of eyes 22 to allow the attachment of the other end of a bracelet or necklace chain. At the end of the base portion 21 remote from the eye means 22 is an abutment 23 which is formed by bending the end of the base portion upwardly and then reversely so as to form a double layer abutment. Also rising at an inclined angle to the base portion 21 and integral with the abutment 23 is a tongue 24. As will be seen in FIGURE 2, the rear edge 25 of the tongue snaps in seating relationship against the inner surface of the flange 18 of the end wall 15. So that the resilient tongue may be disengaged from this position, the rear edge 25 thereof is provided with an operating means shown herein in the form of an integral arcuate finger 26. This arcuate finger 26 in the present instance is adapted to pass through the slot portion 19 and thus allow the end 25 of the tongue to fully seat behind the flange 18. Thus, when the fingerpiece 26 is depressed, the edge 25 of the resilient tongue will move below the flange 18 and the resilient element may then be withdrawn from fully within the hollow body 10 to the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. In this position it will be noted that the abutment 23 strikes the flange portion 18 and prevents complete withdrawal of the resilient element from within the hollow body. In order to completely disengage the two elements, it is necessary to orient the parts as shown in the perspective view of FIGURE 5 so that the abutment 23 will pass out of the slot 17 and complete separation of the parts be had. the extreme angle with which the parts must be related in order to completely separate them that accidental separation of the clasp body and the spring element is practically prevented. Under normal usage the parts would never become oriented in the position such as illustrated in FIGURE 5, for at all times in usage on bracelets or necklace chains or the like there will be a longitudinal pull exerted on the two parts.

It will be appreciated that insertion of the two elements into clasping relationship is just as simple as the separation thereof and presents no more of a problem to the user than the ordinary common form of box type clasps. To this end, of course, the parts are oriented as shown in FIGURE 5 which may be done without viewing the two parts and just by feel as is usual particularly when the clasp is used on a necklace and is being manipulated behind the head of the wearer. It will further be appreciated that the novel construction described above and illustrated by example in the drawing provides a double lock which is secured not only by the usual expedient of It will be appreciated at this point that due to Y struction herein described can take certain other forms that it is not intended that the description and the illustrations herein be considered limiting but purely illustrative and in keeping with this thought, it will be realized that other modifications may be made to the general construction, such as for example, changing the finger means of operating the parts, in accordance with disclosures known to those skilled in the art and further of course the precise location and method of attaching the abutment 23 to the resilient element may be varied in keeping with the general intent of insertion of the spring tongue into the box-like body.

I claim:

1. A clasp comprising a hollow body, side and bottom walls and at least one open end, said open end having a transversely extending flange, a resilient element having a base portion and an inclined resilient tongue extending therefrom for insertion into said open end, said tongue having a shoulder seating against said flange when in raised position, an abutment extending transversely from the base portion of said element at the juncture of the tongue thereto, and a finger piece cooperating with said tongue for depressing the same toward said base portion to unseat the tongue from the flange, said abutment being of a size to engage the flange as the base portion is substantially withdrawn from the body in a direction generally parallel to said base and of a shape to pass beneath said flange through said open end upon said resilient element being rotated about an axis along the juncture of said abutment and base.

2. A clasp as in claim 1 wherein said element is one piece, said abutment being of double thickness stock and located at the juncture of said base and tongue.

3. A clasp as in claim 1 wherein said element is one piece, said abutment being of double thickness stock and located at the juncture of said base and tongue and of the same piece of material as said base and tongue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 812,661 Luckhaupt Feb. 13, 1906 848,972 Costello Apr. 2, 1907 856,606 Scanlon June 11, 1907 889,230 Hotiman June 2, 1908 2,368,543 Hattenrath Jan. 30, 1945 2,513,592 Silverman July 4, 1950 

